Expert on Japan Retail and Consumer Markets, JapanConsuming

Michael Causton

Expert on Japan Retail and Consumer Markets

Real Insight on Japanese Consumer Markets

JapanConsuming

JapanConsuming is a specialist research firm producing intelligence on Japanese retail and consumer markets. Founded in 2000, JapanConsuming has become the leading provider of insights on Japanese retailers and consumer trends to retailers, brands, government agencies and investors. As well as a highly regarded monthly report on the market, JapanConsuming produces in-depth reports on retail sectors, seminars on key trends and telephone consulting to investors on trends and retailers.

JapanConsuming was founded by Michael Causton and Roy Larke. 

Thematic (Sector/Industry)

<ul>
<li>If you need a quick overview of Japan's retail sectors and the winners and losers within, the following provides an update on 2023 and where things are headed in 2024.</li>
<li>Drugstore consolidation continues but so does the sector's encroachment on supermarkets while leaders in department stores are delivering record profits and lifestyle retailing is back.</li>
<li>Some of the best performers compared to initial forecasts include Matsuya, ABC Mart, Adastria, Isetan-Mitsukoshi, Takashimaya, Kintetsu, J Front Retailing and Lawson.</li>
</ul>


If you need a quick overview of Japan's retail sectors and the winners and losers within, the following provides an update on 2023 and where things are headed in 2024.
Drugstore consolidation continues but so does the sector's encroachment on supermarkets while leaders in department stores are delivering record profits and lifestyle retailing is back.
Some of the best performers compared to initial forecasts include Matsuya, ABC Mart, Adastria, Isetan-Mitsukoshi, Takashimaya, Kintetsu, J Front Retailing and Lawson.


Japan Retail Update: Winners and Losers as FY2023 Ends

<ul>
<li>Private brands developed and managed by retailers themselves offer plenty of price and marketing flexibility during these inflationary times.</li>
<li>But it is not only their popularity as cheaper alternatives that is growing, so too are pack sizes, as consumers increase shopping volume and reduce shopping trip frequency.</li>
<li>The trend is another sign of why investors should look out for retailers with good private brands, given the impact on both sales and margin growth.</li>
</ul>


Private brands developed and managed by retailers themselves offer plenty of price and marketing flexibility during these inflationary times.
But it is not only their popularity as cheaper alternatives that is growing, so too are pack sizes, as consumers increase shopping volume and reduce shopping trip frequency.
The trend is another sign of why investors should look out for retailers with good private brands, given the impact on both sales and margin growth.


Private Brands in Japan: Getting Bigger – Literally

Japan Specialist

Mark Chadwick

<ul>
<li>OVERSEAS.  Fed Minutes Rekindle Propsects for Futher Rate Hikes;  Equities continue fall as UST Yield continue to rise;  Investors Flee China; EU: Holland in recession; TESLA cuts px in China</li>
<li>JAPAN. NKY Futures -0.4% vs Cash; USDJPY 146.4; USDJPY hits 9 month low - MoF intervention watch on;  Japan Inbound recovers to ~80% vs Pre-COVID;  Japan Corp Profits Rise Again</li>
<li>NUGGET.  Toyota has kept its hydrogen fuel-cell vechicle push alive, despite the fact the world has moved en-mass to battery electric vehicles. We think this side bet is worth keeping.</li>
</ul>


OVERSEAS.  Fed Minutes Rekindle Propsects for Futher Rate Hikes;  Equities continue fall as UST Yield continue to rise;  Investors Flee China; EU: Holland in recession; TESLA cuts px in China
JAPAN. NKY Futures -0.4% vs Cash; USDJPY 146.4; USDJPY hits 9 month low - MoF intervention watch on;  Japan Inbound recovers to ~80% vs Pre-COVID;  Japan Corp Profits Rise Again
NUGGET.  Toyota has kept its hydrogen fuel-cell vechicle push alive, despite the fact the world has moved en-mass to battery electric vehicles. We think this side bet is worth keeping.


Ohayo Japan|Fed Minutes Rekindle Fears of More Hikes; NUGGET: Toyota & FCVs - A Side Bet to Keep ?

Equity Bottom-Up

<ul>
<li>Retail media in its traditional sense is nothing new, simply referring to the use of advertising in stores, but in modern terms retail media is something far, far bigger. </li>
<li>It is not only a trend in the US, but one that is about to explode in Japan – although in a very different format.</li>
<li>With purchase rates up two-fold in early experiments, the potential for brands advertising through retail stores will be significant with some estimates suggesting a ¥20 trillion market.</li>
</ul>


Retail media in its traditional sense is nothing new, simply referring to the use of advertising in stores, but in modern terms retail media is something far, far bigger. 
It is not only a trend in the US, but one that is about to explode in Japan – although in a very different format.
With purchase rates up two-fold in early experiments, the potential for brands advertising through retail stores will be significant with some estimates suggesting a ¥20 trillion market.


Retail Ads: A New Revenue Stream for Seven & I and Rival Convenience Stores

Technical Analyst, Vermilion Research

Joe Jasper

Technical Analyst

Technical and Quantitative Research

Vermilion Research

Vermilion’s objective is to deliver timely, actionable, and unique technical research to professional investors through the application of our various technical indicators.

Our research strategists seek to highlight securities which we believe are at major inflection points, based on our various technical and quantitative indicators, and offer asymmetric risk/return profiles. Our unique research methodology, centered on relative strength, enables our strategists to deliver superior investment recommendations.

Our process begins by organizing the universe of actively traded stocks into discrete sectors, then into industry groups. We then apply our technical and quantitative tools to identify developing price trends. Once attractive trends are identified within a selected sector or group, we screen for individual stocks which we believe offer the best risk/reward profile. We provide a historical perspective that often reveals, through our long-term charts, how price patterns often repeat themselves over time.

Technical Analysis

iShares MSCI ACWI ETF / Technical Analysis

<ul>
<li>The MSCI ACWI (ACWI-US), ACWI ex-US (ACWX-US), EAFE (EFA-US), and EM (EEM-US) are all reversing topside their 2-month downtrends.</li>
<li>Despite this being a bullish short-term development, we still expect $93 to cap upside on the ACWI-US, leaving about 4-5% upside from here (at time of writing)</li>
<li>As a result, we would use any further strength as an opportunity to get more defensive. Actionable Themes: REA-AU, GFL-CA, GFL-US, Consumer Staples, Health Care, and Gold Miners</li>
</ul>


The MSCI ACWI (ACWI-US), ACWI ex-US (ACWX-US), EAFE (EFA-US), and EM (EEM-US) are all reversing topside their 2-month downtrends.
Despite this being a bullish short-term development, we still expect $93 to cap upside on the ACWI-US, leaving about 4-5% upside from here (at time of writing)
As a result, we would use any further strength as an opportunity to get more defensive. Actionable Themes: REA-AU, GFL-CA, GFL-US, Consumer Staples, Health Care, and Gold Miners


Shift To Defensives as $ACWI Makes Push for $93; Remain Overweight Europe; Opptys in China/HK, Japan

Japan

MatsukiyoCocokara & Co. operates drug store chains. The Company retails medicines, cosmetics, health foods, beauty care products, and other products. MatsukiyoCocokara & also operates supermarkets and home centers.

Price Gauge
52-week Range	0.00 - 0.00
Market Cap (USDm)	0.00
P/E	0.00
Dividend (Yield)	0.00

MatsukiyoCocokara (3088 JP)

Japan Retail Update: Winners and Losers as FY2023 Ends

Summary: Japan's retail sectors in 2023 saw drugstore consolidation and encroachment on supermarkets, while dept. stores and lifestyle retailing...

Michael Causton

Private Brands in Japan: Getting Bigger – Literally

Private brands offer price and marketing flexibility during inflation, and their popularity is increasing. Investors should focus on retailers...

Michael Causton

Ohayo Japan|Fed Minutes Rekindle Fears of More Hikes; NUGGET: Toyota & FCVs - A Side Bet to Keep ?

Fed Minutes rekindle spectre of further hikes; NKY Futures -0.4% vs Cash; USDJPY 146.4; USDJPY hits 9 month low - MoF intervention watch on; Japan...

Mark Chadwick

Retail Ads: A New Revenue Stream for Seven & I and Rival Convenience Stores

Japanese convenience stores have reached stagnation so new sources of revenue to support same-store growth are key. And they may have found it:...

Michael Causton

Shift To Defensives as $ACWI Makes Push for $93; Remain Overweight Europe; Opptys in China/HK, Japan

$ACWI, $ACWX, $EFA, and $EEM all reversing topside their 2-month downtrends. Despite this bullish short-term development, we still expect $93 to...

Vermilion Research

Price Gauge

52-week Range

Market Cap (USDm)

P/E

Dividend (Yield)

Japan Retail Update: Winners and Losers as FY2023 Ends

​Summary: Japan's retail sectors in 2023 saw drugstore consolidation and encroachment on supermarkets, while dept. stores and lifestyle retailing...

Michael Causton

Private Brands in Japan: Getting Bigger – Literally

​Private brands offer price and marketing flexibility during inflation, and their popularity is increasing. Investors should focus on retailers...

Michael Causton

Ohayo Japan|Fed Minutes Rekindle Fears of More Hikes; NUGGET: Toyota & FCVs - A Side Bet to Keep ?

Fed Minutes rekindle spectre of further hikes; NKY Futures -0.4% vs Cash; USDJPY 146.4; USDJPY hits 9 month low - MoF intervention watch on; Japan...

Mark Chadwick

Retail Ads: A New Revenue Stream for Seven & I and Rival Convenience Stores

Japanese convenience stores have reached stagnation so new sources of revenue to support same-store growth are key. And they may have found it:...

Michael Causton

Shift To Defensives as $ACWI Makes Push for $93; Remain Overweight Europe; Opptys in China/HK, Japan

$ACWI, $ACWX, $EFA, and $EEM all reversing topside their 2-month downtrends. Despite this bullish short-term development, we still expect $93 to...

Vermilion Research

Summary: Japan's retail sectors in 2023 saw drugstore consolidation and encroachment on supermarkets, while dept. stores and lifestyle retailing...

Private brands offer price and marketing flexibility during inflation, and their popularity is increasing. Investors should focus on retailers...